“The sky glowed red, and the air carried a scent of charred meat. At the time, I didn’t comprehend it, but my mother explained that it was the smell of people. People like us.” — Ceija Stojka, survivor of Auschwitz. Eighty years ago, the Soviet Red Army rescued survivors of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi death camp in southern Poland. The Allies’ arrival provided the first real glimpse of the camp’s horrors to the world, despite prior knowledge by British and American intelligence agencies of the mass killings in Auschwitz and other camps. Over one million individuals, mostly Jews, were killed at Auschwitz between 1940 and 1945. Today, January 27, is International Holocaust Remembrance Day in memory of the victims.
Auschwitz was just one of over 44,000 camps established by the Nazis from 1939 to 1945. These camps served various functions, imprisoning or killing between 15 and 20 million people. Auschwitz housed multiple types of camps, including transit camps and extermination camps. It was the largest Nazi death camp, where inmates were sent from all over Europe for forced labor or extermination. Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau were the most notable facilities, with the latter serving as the largest extermination and forced labor camp in the Nazi system.
Jews made up the majority of victims at Auschwitz, with approximately six million Jews murdered across Europe during the Holocaust. Jewish prisoners at Auschwitz endured severe conditions, including overcrowded barracks, minimal food rations, and harsh labor. Many were immediately sent to gas chambers upon arrival. Other groups, such as the Roma, were also targeted at Auschwitz. Around 23,000 Roma were deported to Auschwitz, with the majority perishing. The Roma were considered racially inferior and were subjected to dehumanizing treatment in the camp.
The horrors of Auschwitz continue to haunt survivors like Ceija Stojka, who witnessed the screams of children and the atrocities committed within the camp. The stories of those who survived Auschwitz serve as a reminder of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust and the importance of never forgetting the victims.